Harness-saddle



(No Mbdel.)

J.D. FLETOHER. HARNESS SADDLE.

No. 542,929. Patented July 16,1895. v

WITNESSES: v I INVENTOH Q A770HNEYS.

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFioE.

JOHN D. FLETCHER, OF MURFREESBOROUGH, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN B.RANSOM, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

HARNESS-SADDLE.

$PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,929, dated July 16,1895.

Application filed November 1, 1894. Serial No. 527,658. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatl, JOHN D. FLETCHER, of Murfreesborough, in the countyof Rutherford and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and. usefulImprovement in Harness Saddles, of which the following is aspecification.

., the horses, and which shall contribute to' the case and comfort ofthe animal by preserving a bearing-surface for contact with the animalsskin, .which shall always remain soft, pliable, elastic, and cool, andwhich shall also adapt itself to the shape of the horses back.

It relates to that form of harness-saddle which employs a pneumatic padof air within a rubber chamber; and it consists in the peculiarconstruction and arrangement of a harness saddle constructed upon thisgeneral principle, which I will now proceed to more fully describe withreference to the drawings, in which--- Figure 1 is a side view of thesaddle wit one-half of the same in longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is across-section through line 2 2 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 3 is an inside viewof the saddle-pad with the outer covering laid open to expose theconstruction and arrangement of the pneumatic cushions.

The saddle is made in two principal parts, an outer part A and an innerpart B. To the outer part A are attached the check-hook a and the twobands or straps a. a which pass beneath the horses belly. The inner partB, shown detached in Fig. 3, contains the pneumatic cushions and isconnected to the outer part by the terrets D and screws'D. These terretsand screws pass through holes in the outer part from the outside andtheir screwthreaded shanks enter plates D D having screw-threaded holesin them, which plates are embedded within the upper covering of the partB, the said terrets and screws serving in this way to connect these twoprincipal parts together.

The part B, which is the pad, consists of one or more heavy layers ofleather 1), two pneumatic cushions b b, one on each side, and aninclosin g lower lining b of soft leather,

which extends over and incloses the pneumatic cushions. This lowerlining may be stitched all around its edges to the upper leather 1), butI prefer, as shown, to stitch one side of it only, and detachably uniteits other edge by a lacing Z of leather or cord, which passes throughholes in the adjacent edges of the two parts after the manner of ashoe-lacing. The ends of these lacing-cords may be secured by tying atthe lower end of the pad,

or they may be tied in the middle of the saddle and the ends concealedbeneath the middle of the upper section A of the saddle.

The pneumatic cushions b are exactly alike, one being arranged upon eachside of the middle of the saddle. Each is composed of a soft cylindricalrubber tube whose ends are which are seated eyelets 19 by which thecushions are secured by lacing-cords or stitching to the outer leatherlining. This connection holds the tubular cushions out to their fulllength and prevents any shortening or doubling up of the tubes. Eachrubber cushion is formed on its upper side with a nipple n, made of thesame material, and extending through a hole in the upper part of itscasing, and also through a hole in the upper section A of the saddle,where it is provided with a check-valve and screw-cap a, similar tothose used on the pneumatic-cushioned tires of bicycles, and which aredesigned to connect with a small hand-pump and be filled with compressedair from time to time, as it may be needed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The harness saddle pad having a leather backing andadetachable-leather lining b united thereto by lacing cords, and twoinflatable rubber cushions 1) arranged one on.

closed and formed with solid corners b, in

ing and lining united by lacings and having chored within the leatherbacking of the pads two inflatable cushions b therein one on eachsubstantially as and for the purpose dey side of the middle line, andprovided each scribed.

with a valved nipple 0 extending through the JOHN D. FLETCHER. 5 saddle,and eyelets b in their ends, lacings Witnesses:

for securing the inflatable cushions, and ter- JAMES H GRIDLEY,

rets D D passing through the saddle and an- SOLON C. KEMON.

